Rule 4008.1 - Transcript Costs Payable by a Requesting Party Other Than the Commonwealth or a Subdivision Thereof(A) Costs (1) The costs payable by a requesting party, other than the Commonwealth or a subdivision thereof, for a transcript in an electronic format shall be:(a) for an ordinary transcript, $2.50 per page;(b) for an expedited transcript, $3.50 per page, if the court reporter is able to accommodate;(c) for a daily transcript, $4.50 per page, if the court reporter is able to accommodate; and(d) for same day delivery, $6.50 per page, if the court reporter is able to accommodate.(2) When the transcript is prepared in bound paper format, the costs shall be in accordance with paragraph (1) relating to electronic format plus a surcharge of $0.25 per page.(B) Economic hardship - minimum standards (1) Transcript costs for ordinary transcripts in matters under appeal or where the transcript is necessary to advance the litigation shall be waived for a litigant who has been permitted by the court to proceed in forma pauperis or whose income is less than 125 percent of the poverty line as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) poverty guidelines for the current year.(2) Transcript costs for ordinary transcripts in matters under appeal or where the transcript is necessary to advance the litigation shall be reduced by one-half for a litigant whose income is less than 200 percent of the poverty line as defined by the HHS poverty guidelines for the current year.(3) Transcript costs for ordinary transcripts in matters that are not subject to an appeal, where the transcript is not necessary to advance the litigation, or for expedited, daily, rough draft or same day transcripts may be waived at the court's discretion for parties who qualify for economic hardship under subdivision (B)(1) or (B)(2) and upon good cause shown.(4) The application to waive all or a portion of costs for ordinary transcripts shall be supported by an affidavit substantially in the form required by Rule 240(h) of the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure. Such application should be prepared in the form of a Petition to Waive All or a Portion of the Transcript Costs and filed in the appropriate filing office.(C) Assignment and allocation of transcripts costs (1)Assignment of costs. The requesting party, or party required by general rule to file a transcript, shall be responsible for the cost of the transcript. Costs shall not be assessed against any party for transcripts prepared at the initiation of the court.(2)Allocation of costs. When more than one party requests the transcript, or are required by general rule to file the transcript, the cost shall be divided equally among the parties.(D) Copies of transcript A request for a copy of any transcript previously ordered, transcribed and filed of record shall be provided according to the following schedule:
(1) $0.75 per page bound, paper format; and,(2) $0.50 per page electronic copy.(E) Additional Costs A trial judge may impose a reasonable surcharge in cases such as mass tort, medical malpractice or other unusually complex litigation, where there is a need for court reporters to significantly expand their dictionary. Such surcharges are at the discretion of the trial judge.
Adopted November 2, 2016, effective 1/1/2017